This is an United States Application entitled xe2x80x9cA Method and Apparatus For Visual Synchronization Between Graphical Representations of An Organizationxe2x80x9d claiming priority to British Application No. 0118491.0 filed 28 Jul. 2001.
This invention which is the subject of this application relates to a method and apparatus, typically PC based, to express in a dynamic and visual fashion to a user via a display screen, the synchronization between alternative displays representing an organization or part thereof.
In one embodiment, although not exclusively, one of the displays or representations of the organization is a structured hierarchy, and the other display or representation is a graphical organization model representation. The method and apparatus give a simple, direct and powerful mechanism for establishing and communicating context relating to the design, communication or exploration of an organization to a user of the method and associated apparatus. Typically a display screen such as a PC monitor is connected to data processing means which generates the data into the display.
In recent years, organizations in many industries have recognized the benefits to be gained from the construction and communication of graphical visualizations of models of their structures and operations and one example of a conventional graphical model display is shown in FIG. 1. The benefits of graphical visualizations of organic models include improvements in the areas of change and performance management, and quality implementation. The model typically displays an organization group, also known as a xe2x80x9cparentxe2x80x9d comprising a number of components including xe2x80x9ccapabilitiesxe2x80x9d which can be performed within the model and xe2x80x9clinkagesxe2x80x9d which indicate the connection and dependencies between the capabilities which are required for the organization which is the subject of the model to function.
However, many organizational needs are not currently met by the graphical model of an organization. These needs can include a need for the user to be able to understand the location of an organization capability within a broader organizational graph in terms of its superior and subordinate capabilities. There is also a need for the user to be able to maintain the context of components within an organizational model in terms of the respective position of that component in a structured hierarchic view of the organization. While it is known to generate a hierarchical structure display, the user has no means of linking and interpreting the memory or relevance of that display with the graphical display of the organizational model.
Recent advances in the fields of document and knowledge management have resulted in various notations and mechanisms for improving organizational effectiveness. Patents arising from such advances have so far focused on operational data and linkages (see for example patents DE19729911 xe2x80x9cDocumentation data organisation systemxe2x80x9d and EP1065615 xe2x80x9cIntegrated management applicationxe2x80x9d) by which actual documents, schedules and so on can be grouped and connected.
The benefits of visual organizational modelling have also been realized in the context of computer system design, where patents exist for software generation directly via such models (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 6,011,987 xe2x80x9cMethod and computer system for generating process management computer programs from process modelsxe2x80x9d).
The visual models created by such approaches lack the complexity and interactivity that is required by the user in practical usage and so are not able to satisfy the business requirements indicated above. In particular, the models exist purely to define logical structures of process, without any notion of broader organizational context or potential linkages.
A component approach to software construction has yielded valuable improvement in development and management of system. Innovations originating from that work are various; see, for example EP0883057 xe2x80x9cMethod and apparatus for software component analysisxe2x80x9d and WO0122331 xe2x80x9cMethod for defining an executable business modelxe2x80x9d.
Related to this approach is the notion of autonomous intelligent software agents, which have been widely reported in recent years. A number of patent applications have emerged (e.g. WO0102952 xe2x80x9cImproved software Interface Agentxe2x80x9d). This asserts a components approach to software construction whereby components are able to perform xe2x80x9cintelligentlyxe2x80x9d through deployment of sophisticated analysis techniques including xe2x80x9clearningxe2x80x9d.
Graphical approaches to business development and transformation increasingly play a significant part in business change programs. In a previous invention (British Patent Application No. 0112277.9 xe2x80x9cFlexible and direct navigationxe2x80x9d), a navigation mechanism is described.
The aim of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus to deploy and utilize a graphical representation of an organization which can be expressed in terms of capabilities and their interactions and to support the analysis, design, implementation and management of the same. By providing this apparatus and method the invention improves prior art systems by enabling the exploration and design of an organization prior to the delivery of operational document systems.
In a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method for creating and allowing user interaction with at least one graphical representation of an organisation; said method comprising the following steps:
constructing a collection of graphical representations of the organization;
creating a model describing at least one part of the organization by selecting capabilities of the organization which are required for the said model;
establishing directed linkages between the selected capabilities to indicate required interactions between the capabilities;
displaying the model in a graphical manner;
constructing a hierarchical structure of organization capabilities to illustrate the component structure of the organization
setting at least some of the capabilities in the context of their superior and subordinate capabilities;
displaying the hierarchical structure in a graphical manner; and characterized in that the capabilities included within the said model display are matched and positioned relative to the other capabilities in the model with reference to the hierarchical structure display.
In one embodiment the capabilities within the model are consistent with the hierarchy display in that for each capability in the model which is defined as a superior capability in the hierarchical structure all of the required defined subordinate capabilities are included within the model display.
Typically the method includes the further step of enabling reorganization of the hierarchical structure by allowing user re-location of a component and its subordinates against a different parent or group in the structure.
The reorganization typically involves the component that has been moved being removed from the model of its previous parent, and inserted, preferably automatically, into the model describing its new parent or group.
Typically, concurrent with such a reorganization, a link is generated to indicate all of those graphical representations which can be generated to represent the organization which are affected by the reorganization and all of the identified graphical representations are amended likewise, so as to retain consistency between the graphical representations.
A further step provided in the method is the contextual analysis of a component selected by the user from the graphical model, said analysis performed by the display of a representation of the hierarchical structure of the organization so as to indicate the selected component and the position of the same in the hierarchical representation.
In a further embodiment the contextual graphical analysis of the impact can be achieved within the hierarchical display by highlighting any of the components selected by the user from within the hierarchic structure display.
Typically, contextual synchronization is achieved between the graphical representation of a selected component and its hierarchical location by means of a mechanism that causes, preferably automatically, the hierarchical display to be re-generated to indicate to the user the position of the selected component within the display, following the selection of the component from the model display.
Typically, contextual synchronization is achieved between the selected component within the hierarchical representation and its participation within the model display by means of a mechanism that, preferably automatically, causes the model to indicate the component, typically by highlighting.
In one embodiment the component indicating mechanism referred to, can be switched on and off according to user requirements.
In one embodiment the components correspond to capabilities that the organization is able to perform, either by human, system or mixed behavior and/or linkages between the capabilities.
In a second aspect of the invention there is provided apparatus for navigation through graphical representations of a model of at least part of an organisation and the hierarchical structure of said organisation; said apparatus comprising a processing means for displaying both the hierarchical structure and model of the organisation on a display screen connected to processing means, said representations each including details representing organisation parents or groups, components of the organisation and elements of the components, processing means allowing the user selection to display on a display screen either or both of the hierarchical structure or organisational model displays and to select from said displays any or any combination of a parent, component or element and characterised in that a mechanism is provided which, upon selection of a component by the user from one of the organisational model or hierarchic structure displays, allows the generation of a display of the other of the organisational model or hierarchical representation with the user selected component indicated on the same.
Typically the selected component is visually indicated. In one embodiment the indication is achieved by highlighting the component on the display screen.
The present invention therefore provides a method and apparatus for visual synchronization between graphical and hierarchical representations of an organization which allows the need to be able to view a visual representation of an organizational component, in the context of its interactions with other components to be achieved and the need to be able to perform all of these actions in a graphical environment at any level within an organization, in a direct manner to be achieved. By direct it is meant that a user of the invention can immediately access any of the above needs with a single simple, intuitive action.